Actually I just rent back in this thread and remembered u had those early issues with roots and what-not. Anything else you think could have done to make that a pound or pound and a half harvest?
I want you to know I spent 20 minutes typing up a very long and detailed response to this question, as a closing summary to my growing experience, and i accidentally closed my browser window. I'm shaking with anger as I retype this, but here it goes.
Firstly, to answer your questions above, I use whatever HPS bulbs come standard with the box, i believe they are 400s, and i don't believe an extra 60 watts would make any difference in that spectrum. Id rather see more blue spectrum light if anything for the resin production, plenty of red in there already. The CFLS and t5's add os much redundant light anyways. It's really more of an exposure issue, which is the growers responsibility by clipping and pruning.
Yes I did use co2, but I had it on 5 psi as per BCNL's instructions, which caused it to run out at the end of week 5 (i started using it at the beginning of week 3). So, only on for 3 weeks... unacceptable. I don't want to use another tank, and I don't want to carry around a 40lb monster, so I'll be dialing it back to 4 PSI to see how things go next run. I would prefer ot have co2 going the entire grow up until the last 2 weeks, but in my opinion, it's only really truely indispensable in weeks 3 till about weeks 7 when bud production is booming.... that's when it's really needed.
I'm going to start listing some of the things that I would have done differently, and will be doing differently in my next run. Pardon the rant, and stop reading when you get bored. here goes nothing:
-Using 2ml/gal of 35% hydrox instead of 8ml/gal, and letting it sit for 20 minutes in my water before adding nutes ( the extra burnt my roots and led me to trying organics).
-Staying completely away from the above mentioned organics (sensizym, piranha, and voodoo juice) and just using hydrox. The organics provided an immediate noticible result, but caused my roots to stagnate and stop growing for almost 3 weeks straight. As soon as I went back to hydrox, there was new root growth the SAME DAY, and my res, roots and airstones were crystal clear again... wonderful.
-Using a proper material for lightproofing my machine to prevent algae (these lids are NOT lightproof, trust me).
-Manually watering my new 1 inch clones in the producer, and pH balancing right before watering. I completely lost a whole week of veg by overwatering my clones. They went yellow and didn't grow at all until I flushed, and basically hit the reset button.
-Being much more patient with my pH adjustments, and doing it twice a day for the first 3 days after a res change, and once a day after that (pH becomes more stable as the solution ages)
-Using the daily maintenance regiment I have developed from day one (writing down PPM for that week after mixing nutes, then adding water every day to match that PPM, then pH balance, then drop bottles in and close the doors)
-Using co2 and 4 psi rather than 5
-Vegging long enough to let my plants fill the box (totally hindsight, no way of knowing this)
-pruning and clipping to keep 3-4 branches instead of 8-10
-manually checking the plants at the back of the box for mold/mildew/dead plant matter instead of being lazy and only admiring the girls at the front
-doing 3-4 small flushes during the grow to prevent salt buildups, which killed one of my plants (5 days of nutes, followed by 2 days of hydrox+plain water 3-4 times during grow).
-Keeping 4 or so extra clones in 3 inch rockwool in a closet station in case some of the clones in your box don't root (2 of mine didn't)
-Adding another 4 airstones, for a total of 8 (which ive already done, and are using in my next grow... journal coming soon!)
-Using frozen bottles from the beginning (i might not have to do this anymore because of the extra dissolved oxygen from the extra 4 stones... another thing to test)
-Shaking my nutrients before using, and not cross-contaminating them!!! (DUHHHH)
-Not leaving my fucking valve open and letting my nutes spill all over the fucking floor
-Use CFL for all stages of flower for extra resin production
-Keeping a cleaner overall box by removing dead plant matter
-using a shop vac to clean res (started doing this at week 4 or so, should have bought it sooner)
-Using an air conditioner (again, started this too late)
-Used much less nutes, than slowly dial up to your plants needs. I have to say, this is the best approach in my experience for any grower using an unfamiliar strain. These strains have different appetites and different stages for nutrients, and the old mantra LESS IS MORE holds truer here than anywhere else. Your plants won't die from a lighter nute regiment, but they certainly will if given too much. I'll be heiring on the side of less, than climbing more slowly.
-Using 50 litres of water instead of BCNL's 34 to keep PPM and pH more stable (use same nute schedule, however, always go on the light side)
That's about all I can think of right now, but there is more and i'll edit them in as they come to me. I want to add a few things. First off, a lb per harvest i think is completely doable, and easily exceeded with a bit of experience, but almost impossible with anything other than clones. In my opinion, using clones really saved me this run. Even rates of growth, uniform ripening and a nice even canopy are paramount to a successful box grow in my view, and you won't ever get that with seeds.
I did meet my 0.5z a plant goal for this troubled run, which I am extremely happy with considering what you read above, and it helps put a couple things in perspective. Firstly, my plants were literally half the height they should have been (maybe even less than half), and each plant only resulted in 1-3 actually ripe branches. Both the height problems and the 6 or so underdeveloped branches on each plant were totally my fault. So, Imagine a cola that was twice as long, thicker, and double the healthy branching (all of these are quite easy to expect in a healthy grow). 0.5 that i produce could easily, and i mean easily, become 1 oz or more per plant. 1 oz per plant is already a pound and 2 ounces per harvest. So, I totally and completely think 2lbs is doable, but only by an experienced grower whos got one single SOG friendly box strain dailed in nice and tight, and I aim to do that in the next year or so. Hope this answered your question. Any questions or criticisms are welcome, i'm trying to learn as much as I can.
Worst case scenario is you clip too many and your colas get fatter... boo hoo 